American League Powers Their Way to Eighth Consecutive All-Star Game Win

In 2006, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. homered in the All-Star Game at PNC Park.

15 years later, his son did the same in the mid-summer classic.

On Tuesday night in Denver, Colorado, the American League extended their winning streak in the All-Star Game to eight consecutive games, defeating the National League 5-2, with Guerrero Jr. taking home MVP honors.

Young Vladdy became the youngest player in MLB history to take home the ASG MVP, passing Ken Griffey Jr.who took it home in 1992.

The scoring opened in the first inning when Toronto’s Marcus Semien singled to St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado, who made a slick bare-handed grab. Because the ball was hit so slowly, Semien was able to beat Arenado’s strong strong to first base.

Aaron Judge, who had walked earlier in the inning, scored on the play.

Guerrero Jr. made history when he stepped up to the plate in the second, homering to right field to extend the lead to 2-0. He brought in another run in the fifth inning on a groundout, scoring Toronto’s Teoscar Hernandez.

Meanwhile, the NL bats struggled all night. Their only long ball came off the bat of Philadelphia’s J.T. Realmuto, who went deep off Detroit’s Gregory Soto in the fifth inning. Besides Realmuto, the only other run for the NL came via a passed ball in the following inning, scoring San Diego’s Manny Machado.

Arenado, one of the best players in Colorado Rockies franchise history, was greeted with a warm reception in just his second series at Coors Field in another team’s uniform. The seven-time Gold Glove winner went 0-2 but was still one of the biggest stars of the entire night.

Shutting down the National League was a group of AL pitchers that allowed just eight hits the entire game. The Angels’ Shoehi Ohtani, who also started at designated hitter, pitched a perfect first inning, and the White Sox’s Lance Lynn did almost the same in the second, other than one walk.

Ohtani wound up as the game’s winning pitcher, capping off a weekend that saw him compete in the derby, as a batter, and as a pitcher.

From the third through sixth inning each AL pitcher allowed just one hit. Texas’ Kyle Gibson, Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi, the aforementioned Gregory Soto, and Oakland’s Chris Bassitt did enough to keep the NL from mounting any type of serious comeback.

In a tough night for the senior circuit, the home team did have some highlights. The Pirates, one of baseball’s worst teams in the first half of the season, trotted out two starters: Bryan Reynolds, who almost homered but flew out near the warning track to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, and Adam Frazier, who hit a clean single to right field in the third inning.

Washington’s Max Scherzer, who added a strikeout in a perfect first inning, started the game despite not being selected until injury replacement players were added.

Colorado’s German Marquez, the lone player representing the hometown team in this year’s game, pitched a scoreless fourth inning in front of the Denver crowd.

The Mets lone All-Star this weekend (after Jacob deGrom chose to sit out the game) was Taijuan Walker, who took the mound in the sixth inning. He allowed just one run, but it was a deep home run to Tampa Bay’s Mike Zunino.

Juan Soto, the Washington Nationals star who lost to eventual Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso in Monday’s semifinals, did not get much of a chance to swing the bat this time. He walked twice in his only two plate appearances.

On the winning side, the Red Sox were well represented. Starters Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers combined for three total hits. Bogaerts added an RBI as well, driving in Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins with a fifth inning single to right. J.D. Martinez also got an at bat at designated hitter, and Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning, despite allowing two hits and walking a batter.

He ended the inning by getting the Cubs’ Kris Bryant to line out to the Angels’ Jared Walsh, who needed a sliding catch to get out of the jam. Bryant stranded the bases loaded and ended the National League’s second rally attempt of the game.

Walsh then led off the ninth inning by almost belting a home run into centerfield, but it was caught on a line out by the Dodgers’ Chris Taylor. The AL attempted to add some insurance runs when Texas’ Adolis Garcia doubled to center later in the inning.

After getting Minnesota’s Nelson Cruz to groundout, the Cubs’ Craig Kimbrel was replaced by former Met and current Philadelphia Phillie, Zack Wheeler. Wheeler ended the inning by striking out Oakland’s Matt Olson, who went down swinging.

The American Leader in saves Liam Hendriks, entered the game in the ninth inning going for the save. After allowing a leadoff single to Milwaukee catcher Omar Narvaez, the White Sox closer got the leadoff man out on a caught stealing at second base.

Chris Taylor then struck out on a dropped third strike, bringing up Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies as the last chance for the NL. Albies doubled to right, giving the NL hope before Trea Turner grounded out to Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield, ending the ballgame.

The losing pitcher was Corbin Burnes, who got tagged for 4 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in 2.0 innings of work. He pitched the most innings of any one pitcher in this game, despite not starting.

The second half of the MLB season resumes on Thursday, when the Red Sox visit the Bronx to take on the Yankees. As for the Mets, they return to play on Friday night in Pittsburgh. Jacob deGrom is expected to start as he continues his chase for both the NL MVP and Cy Young awards.